RRFC Supporter-Director: Election Open

Nominations for the position of Supporter-nominated Director have now closed.

The Candidates

There have been two nominations submitted to serve in this role: Gordon Adamson and Alan Russell.

Further info on the candidates can be viewed below.

The Role

The successful candidate will be appointed to the board of the football club’s holding company, New Raith Rovers. It may also lead to the person being appointed to the board of the football club. The position exists because of the ongoing collective investment that fans make through their supporters’ organisations.

Voting

Voting opens today and closes at 10pm on Friday 26th February 2016.

To vote in this election, voters must be current adult members of any of the Raith Forum groups (Jim McMillan Club, 200 Club, Supporters Club, Rovers Down South and Raith Trust) OR an adult Raith Rovers FC season ticket holder.

In a departure from previous elections, voters can now cast their vote online; emailed instructions on how to do this will be sent out to all eligible individuals in the next 24 hours.

Those individuals who have not submitted an email address to any of the Forum groups (or Raith Rovers FC for season ticket holders) will receive a postal ballot form in the post in the next week.

Hustings Event

There will be an election hustings event scheduled early next week (w/c 15th February 2016) where voters will get a chance to hear the 2 candidates speak, as well as an opportunity to put any question to the candidates. Details will be confirmed and announced by the end of this week.

Candidate Statements

GORDON ADAMSON

My name is Gordon Adamson and I am currently Supporters Club chairman and Match day Announcer. I deem it an honour and a privilege to hold both these roles. Having been on the Supporters Club Committee for over 25 years I have experienced the good and bad times along with the rest of the fans. During my time on the Committee I have carried out numerous roles within the Football Club, as many others have done, just to ensure Raith Rovers continues. Being around Starks Park all those years I have witnessed many changes not only to playing and management staff but also in the boardroom. This is why I think the role of Supporters Director is vital to maintain continuity between the board and the fans in the stands. I was involved in both the Reclaim the Rovers and also the Raith Against Time campaigns when our long term investment and this role began. If successful it would be my intention to further build and improve the relationship between the fans and Raith Rovers by relaying all relevant ideas and complaints to the directors. To help further promote Raith Rovers within the local community and beyond. Ensure that the fans are kept fully informed, where board policies allow, of all relevant news from within the football club. Strengthen the voice of supporters within the corridors of Starks Park. Continue and evolve the Supporters Director role so as to maintain a positive and trustworthy bond between all relevant parties. To carry out all relevant duties to best of my ability and continue to be a good ambassador not only for the football club, but more importantly, for the fans. Being a well-known face, by the majority of fans, I would hope that this will enhance my opportunity of fulfilling the role. It would be my intention to continue as Announcer on a Saturday, unless deemed otherwise, so once again “Let’s get right behind the Rovers”.

ALAN RUSSELL

I have been a member of the Raith Supporters Trust board since 2004. I believe strongly in the principles of supporter representation / ownership in football, and have been a committed activist in furthering these principles at Raith Rovers.

If elected to the role of Supporter-Director, I would focus on three priorities:

1. Representing the supporters’ interests in the boardroom

Since the successful “Reclaim The Rovers” campaign our supporters have had a role in guiding the direction of our football club – an opportunity that the supporters of most clubs do not have. We have had a strong voice in the Raith Rovers boardroom throughout this ten year period through, and if I was fortunate enough to succeed the previous incumbents I would do everything in my power to continue their good work.

I would strive to ensure that the club continues to make positive progress towards all of its sporting, business and community priorities. It would be my intention to help the club explore ways in which we could become the model for other clubs at our level – financially thriving rather than just surviving, playing a positive role in our community, and ensuring that the club we are so proud of also plays a big part in the lives of future generations.

2. Acting as a conduit between the supporters and the board

It is important for every board member, whether they are there by virtue of being elected to their role or through their own investment in the club, to maintain strong connections with the various supporters groups and the many supporters who choose not to be part of these groups, and to listen to their views.

I believe that I would be ideally placed to act as an easy communication channel between supporters and the board, due to being a ‘known face’ amongst the supporters. I would make myself accessible to all supporters to ensure their wishes and concerns are taken into account by the club’s board when making important decisions about the club’s direction.

3. Liaising with the club’s guests on match days

At Raith Rovers the difficult steps already taken by the current and previous boards to introduce a more prudent approach to the club’s business have meant that we have managed to avoid the worst kinds of crisis that others in Scottish football have struggled through.

However, we have not yet fully realised the potential benefits such stability can bring, and I would develop relationships with officials from other clubs to learn from them, share insights from our own experiences at Raith Rovers, and build alliances to improve our businesses and the sporting environment that we all want our clubs to perform in.

I work in a management consultancy based in Aberdour and as part of a global network of change management and coaching specialists, working primarily with international blue chip clients. I would be proud and privileged to have the opportunity to apply my experience from this environment to the boardroom of Raith Rovers.

Other Links

About The Trust

Raith Supporters Trust was set up in 2001 to make sure that the voice of the Raith Rovers support is heard.

We are a democratic organisation made up of ordinary fans of Raith Rovers FC. We work with the football club board and other fan groups to help make sure that Raith Rovers FC has a strong and stable future as a club at the heart of the community.

The Trust is the legal vehicle for the Raith Forum’s shareholding in New Raith Rovers Ltd, which represents approximately 5% of the total shares in the companies which make up Raith Rovers. As a result the fans are now represented on the board of the football club with a 'Supporters Director' giving Raith fans a real say in the direction and running of the club.